Officials are probing how a 51-year-old highway bridge came to collapse in the Italian port city of Genoa yesterday, killing at least 26 people and injuring 16 others as it sent dozens of vehicles tumbling into a heap of concrete and twisted steel.

Reef to benefit from environment budget

The Great Barrier Reef will benefit from a $535.8 million program to improve water quality and control pests.

The five-year reef package is the centrepiece of the environment budget and, combined with philanthropic and other funding sources, "will improve water quality, control crown-of-thorns starfish and boost science for reef restoration", Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg said in a statement on Tuesday.

The budget also includes $13 million a year for Antarctic research and $5.3 million in annual grants for heritage sites and groups.